Neil Young was never meant to be a typical mainstream star. Deep down, he was a folk artist—a Canadian storyteller who only made his way to the U.S. once rock and roll called him south. Though he helped lead the psychedelic rock wave, Young was never fully committed to chasing that trend. Instead, he leaned into the raw honesty of country, blues, and gritty rock—genres that rarely delivered chart-topping hits.
Unlike many artists, Young followed his own path, guided more by instinct than industry. As Graham Nash once said, “Neil is very smart. I respect his connection to what he calls ‘the muse’ of his music. He follows that inherently, and I understand that.”
But Nash also admitted that Young’s devotion to inspiration came at a cost. “One thing I don’t quite like,” he said, “is all the people around him—the stage crews, lighting teams—who suddenly lose work when Neil cancels a tour for whatever reason he feels.” While Nash admired Young’s talent, he questioned the impact of his unpredictability. Still, he added, “He’s an incredible musician, and I’ve always enjoyed being on stage with him.”
That kind of uncompromising creative vision meant Neil Young never chased hits. And yet, in 1972, he suddenly had one.
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The Accidental Pop Star
With “Heart of Gold”, Young found himself at the very top of the Billboard Hot 100—a place he never expected, and never truly wanted, to be. The song, with its aching lyrics and stripped-down acoustic sound, struck a chord with audiences. Despite its emotional depth, it was polished enough to break through the mainstream. Young, already famous thanks to Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, was suddenly a full-blown pop sensation.
But success made him uneasy.
“This song put me in the middle of the road,” Young later wrote in the liner notes for his 1977 compilation Decade. “Travelling there soon became a bore, so I headed for the ditch. A rougher ride but I saw more interesting people there.”
Even Bob Dylan, the man most often compared to Young, found himself unsettled by the hit. Dylan had long been accused of influencing Young, but now it felt like Young had beat him at his own game. “The only time it bothered me that someone sounded like me,” Dylan admitted to Spin in 1985, “was in about ’72, when the big song was ‘Heart of Gold.’ I used to hate it when it came on the radio. I always liked Neil Young, but it bothered me every time I heard that song. I’d say, ‘Shit, that’s me. If it sounds like me, it should as well be me.’”
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A Song That Wouldn’t Let Go
Despite his discomfort with its success, Young never completely abandoned “Heart of Gold.” Though it symbolized a chapter he didn’t want to stay in, the song remained a fixture in his live sets, often serving as the emotional centerpiece of his acoustic performances.
When Young returned to the stage in 2023 after a long break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he brought “Heart of Gold” with him. Time had changed his relationship with the track. It may not have been the song he wanted to be known for, but he had learned to live with it. In fact, of all the songs in his long and unpredictable career, “Heart of Gold” is the one he has played live more than any other.
